Shelton Board of Alderman President John Anglace, left, and Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman Ruth Parkins are concerened over DEEP's plan to erect solar panels on the former city landfill on River Road in Shelton, Conn. on Thursday, November 2, 2017. less

Shelton Board of Alderman President John Anglace, left, and Planning & Zoning Commission Chairman Ruth Parkins are concerened over DEEP's plan to erect solar panels on the former city landfill on River Road ... more

SHELTON — City officials said they were blindsided by the state’s plan to install solar energy panels on the site of the former landfill.

“We were caught off guard,” said John Anglace, the president of the city’s Board of Aldermen, who with Ruth Parkins, chairman of the Planning and Zoning Commission, were at the site Thursday. “I’m not saying we’re opposed to the plans but we have questions that need to be answered.”

Both Anglace and Parkins said they were concerned because the landfill still collects methane gas through an elaborate piping system before burning it off.

At least once, the gas affected residents of the neighboring Pine Rock area. While no homes were evacuated, some businesses had to curtail their work that day, officials said.

“There are a lot questions that have to be answered — particularly what type of emergency response there would be if something happened,” Parkins said.

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Just this week, Anglace discovered that the Public Utilities Regulatory Authority closed its request for comments on the solar panels on Oct.30 — and that the comments were directed only at the pricing for the electricity generated by the panels. The Authority is expected to vote on a price Nov. 16.

Mike Coyle, an Authority spokesman, said he could not comment on pending matters.

Once the pricing is set, the solar panel project will move onto the state Siting Council. It’s the Siting Council that gives final approval for the placement of the panels.

“That’s where we expect to have the opportunity to participate,” said State Rep. Jason Perillo, who with State Rep. Ben McGorty and State Sen. Kevin Kelly have been discussing the panels. “We are going to be asking questions, offering comments and making suggestions.”

Parkins said she would attend the Siting Council session which would probably take place sometime next year.

In June, Hearst Connecticut Media reported that the Shelton landfill was one of three proposals selected to test the state’s first attempt at sharing power from large solar arrays with customers.

In June, U.S. Solar representatives told the state Department of Energy and Environmental Protection they believe their company can produce 1.6 megawatts of power on the 7.5 acres of solar panels at the River Road landfill. Additionally the city would be able to tax the panels and equipment.

Shelton would not be the first community to install solar panels on its landfill. In 2015, Derby Mayor Anita Dugatto and her Board of Alderman closed the deal with BQ Energy Inc. of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., to install 3,000 solar arrays expected to generate 840 megawatts of power on its landfill. Bridgeport did the same on its closed Seaside Park landfill.

Meanwhile, Anglace said he met with Mayor Mark Lauretti and the city attorney to discuss possible legal action if the city is unsatisfied with the way the process is being handled by the state — if their comments or concerns are not taken into account during the hearings.

“We could have a disaster—an explosion or fires—if the methane collection is disturbed,” Anglace said. “If we don’t continue to collect it and monitor it, it will migrate.”

Anglace said the Connecticut Resource Recovery Authority in 1993 proposed to close the site in 1996 and turn it into a public spot with walking trails, a marina, a boardwalk and wild life sanctuary. The Board of Aldermen president said he believes that up to $35 million was earmarked for the project.

“This was planned but never adopted,” Anglace said. “ What happened to this plan and the money? There was never any public communication.”